The budget will now be forwarded to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration for review and state approval. Once that has been completed, probably by sometime in mid to late July, the budget will be sent back to the city for final council adoption.

Also, no public comments were made on the budget before it was adopted by the council. At a public hearing conducted on the budget at a council work session two weeks ago, no one spoke either in approval or opposition.

"It seems like a lot of same old," said Ray Torres, a retired White Sands Missile Range employee, who has lived in Las Cruces for almost 28 years. "From what I've seen about the budget, it looks just a little bit leaner, probably because of the economy. (There are) no real big surprises, and the expectancies (of revenues and expenditures) in it appear to be realistic.

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City Budget Manager Dick Gebhart said the budget will be based on gradual recovery from an economic recession.

"It will feature no tax increases, no layoffs or employee furloughs," Gebhart said.

The budget projects city spending to be about $93 million during the upcoming fiscal year. Gross receipts taxes, the greatest revenue source to the city, accounts for more than 72 percent of city's general fund revenues. The city's collection of gross receipts taxes is expected to bring in $76.1 million for Las Cruces in next year's budget.

Gebhart said city government will operate with three fewer full-time jobs during the 2014 fiscal year, from July 1 through June 30, 2014. The three jobs lost will be unfilled positions in Municipal Court. City government will drop from 1,341 full-time jobs, during the current fiscal year, to 1,338 next year.
Slow, steady growth is anticipated to occur in Las Cruces during the upcoming fiscal year, Gebhart said. The city's estimated population will grow to 103,404 in 2014, from approximately 101,775 this year, and less than one percent in job growth is expected during the city's new fiscal year.

"These are consistent levels with what's happening nationally," Gebhart said. "No spectacular job growth is expected across the U.S."
Gebhart added no great upsurge in inflation is expected. The U.S. economy seems to be gaining slowly and steadily.

Steve Ramirez can be reached at 575-541-5452. Follow him on Twitter @SteveRamirez6

City budget

- The city budget for the 2014 fiscal year, from July 1 to June 30, 2014 will be $280,377,068

- This year, the city's budget has been about $300 million

- Gross receipts taxes, the greatest revenue source to the city, is anticipated to be $76.1 million for the 2014 fiscal year

- Overall, total estimated revenues to the city are projected to be $88.4 million

- The budget will maintain twice the required reserves, $15.6 million, mandated by the state of New Mexico